A Week in the News - 4th October 2013

This week we've seen the Conservative party conference, and Ed Milliband's father criticised by the Daily Mail, so much so that the Mail's coverage seemed to overshadow the party conference. We've also seen the continuing farce in regards to FIFA's awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar - this story will run and run. Now our focus moves to the news in the world of pregnancy and babies this week, and here is our round up.

Young mothers, maternity wards and Stay-at-Home Mothers

There was a report on the BBC this week showing research that suggests children born to mothers under 30 are more likely to die than those born to older mums, an interesting finding. The difference between the age of the mother accounted for 11% of all deaths up to nine years old - and the findings seem to suggest that younger mums might be less well off. It's a bold claim, but clearly the researchers thought there was some correlation. Is is true that mothers who wait to have children are likely to be better off financially? Maybe it is the case, and these findings are very interesting.

An article in the Daily Mail found that half of maternity wards turn women in labour away. Whilst this may not be an emergency in some cases, it can be something that happens when women are in the very early stages of labour, the Royal College of Midwives has suggested that maternity wards are like a 'pressure cooker'. Perhaps it is time that the government try and help those in our maternity wards to do the job they want to do.

A blog on the Telegraph looked at how the speeches in the Conservative conference would not take into account stay-at-home mums, with the focus being on families where both parents work. The blog states various reasons at to why parents who stay at home have been punished continually by the coalition and is well worth a read.

Extra Calories, Menopause and Unplanned Babies?

Are you struggling to conceive? Well if you follow the Mail, they have the answer for you, eat more at breakfast! Apparently if you eat over half of your daily calorie allowance at breakfast it drops your testosterone levels, and also insulin and glucose levels. I guess it is worth trying anything if you want to conceive, so here's another thing you can try. Whether it will help or not who knows, I'm sure that is probably something that may work for some, and not for others.

With coverage across many papers and news outlets, the BBC also reported on a baby being born through a technique to 'reawaken' ovaries affected by those with early menopause. The technique involves removing the ovaries, activate them in a lab and them re-implanting fragments of tissue. Whilst the baby was born successfully, and that is fantastic news, it is early days, but promising nonetheless.

We leave you this week with the woman whose third baby is going to ruin her 'perfect' life. Now we know the Mail likes to wind people up, and we'll leave it up to you to make your own mind up on this one...

We'll be back next week with another look at the news, and as always if you see something that catches your eye let us know through the site or @MumNetwork.

About the author

James Brighton

Since 2011 James has been in charge of working with and organising all our writers to put together Pregnancy.co.uk and Babies.co.uk. Anna, his girlfriend, knows he will be an encyclopaedia of knowledge if she ever falls pregnant!

Click here to read my full biography.

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